Santa Clara County Cooperative Extension

Healthy Food Systems       Healthy Environments       Healthy Communities       Healthy Californians

Citizen Science in the Garden

Citizen science projects encourage broad participation in scientific research. Now, through variety trials with the Master Gardener Program, Santa Clara County residents can add to what we know about growing popular crops from the comfort of their own gardens!

For the second summer in a row, Master Gardeners have selected three promising tomato varieties and invited the public to grow them in their gardens. With many gardeners growing the same varieties around the county, we can learn how these tomatoes perform in real world conditions. Those include the many different microclimates that occur throughout the county, from Palo Alto to Gilroy, as well as growing methods such as containers, raised beds, and in-ground plots. Gardeners record data about how the plants perform and share their impressions of how the tomatoes look and taste.

Participants use an online platform called SeedLinked to record their progress. When the trial ends, everyone has immediate access to the results. You can explore last year’s results here. In addition to generating useful information, gardeners in the trial are also part of a supportive community where they can share how things are going, ask questions, and receive gardening tips. 

More information about the trial is available on the Master Gardener website. If you’d like to take part in our next citizen science project, keep an eye out for more information about how to get involved in spring 2026!